Thread-protector.



P. J. SHRUM.

- THREAD PROTECTOR.

APPLIoATIoN FILED SEPT. 11

, 1909. BENEWED NOV. 9, 1910.

Patented June 13,1911.

xplurality of Ylocking PETER il'. SHRUM, 0F MONACA, PENNSYLVNIA, SSIG'NOR TO COLONA MANUFACTUR me COMPANY, or rIrrsBUNe, venia.

PENNSYLVANIA, a eo-RoRarIoN or PENNsYI.- Tamb-PROTECTOR.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented June 13,1911.

Applicationled September I1', 1959, Serial' No. 517,31'0 Renewed November 9', 1910. Serial No. 591,515.

To all 'whom 'it may concern."

Be it known that I, PETER J. SHRUM, a

citizen of the United States, residing at IMonaca, in the county of Beaver and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Thread-Protectors, of which the following is a specification, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawing. c

My invention consists in an improvement in 'thread protectors for the threaded ends of pipe, tubing, rods, etc. and has for its obJect to provide a simple, cheap and easily adjusted device which may be directly in serted by pushing over the end of the pipe or other article, and then if desired, partially turned to gagement with place until forcibly removed.

The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in' which Figure 1 is a erspective view of the device detached.

v iew through one side of the threaded portion of a pipe showing a corresponding side of the protector in operative position. Fig.. 3 is aview of the devlce in elevation,` applied? Ato the end of a pipe, l

and4 dindicating the spiral arrangement of the locking abutments. Figa-tis a sectional detail'viewsimilar to Fig. 2, but showing the abutments secured to the inner'side of the ring.

ing'located in a receiving recess inthe ring. Fig. 6 is a cross sectional view on the line VI. VI. of Fi'g. 5. Fig. 'Tis a erspective detail view showing a modified)V locking abutments. Figs. 8 and 9l are detail views showing the locking abutmentI made of wire, Fig. 9. being tion on the line XI. XI. and Fig. 12 a section on the line 13is a sectional detail showing a further Figs.,14 and 15 are detail views showing a. 'abutments carried by an encircling band, F1 15 being indicatedv by the line XV. XV. vo Fig. 14. I

The protector is formed of aband 201. sheet metal in circular form, connectedtogetherY by rivets as shown, or in any other XII. of Fig. 10. Fig. view similar to Fig. 2

suitable way, preferably having a terminal.

bind it in position byv enT the threads, to hold it in y until no ig. 2 is a vertical sectionall Fig. 5? is a view similar to Fig. 4, the abutment belt number of fOI'IIl the'.

a section on theu lme'IX. IX. of Fig. 8. Figs. 10, 11 and 12 modified construction.

of ring a slight flange 3 adapted to cover the end or a portion of the end of the pipe or other article when in position, as indicated in Fig. 2.

For the purposeof providing locking devices for engagement with the threads of the protected' article, the body portion of the ring is cut or slotted through as at 4 and separate spring tongues are provided, securedk to vthe body portion of the band in any suitable manner as by rivets 6, havin their terminals 7 bent inwardly as indicate said tongue terminals constituting rearwardly eX- tending resilient elements adapted to interlock with the threads.

' pon: inserting the protector over` the end of the threaded pipe or tubing, it is pushed directly thereon, the terminals 7 of tongues 5 spring over each successive thread and downwardly into the recesses between adjacent threads until flange 3' makes contact or more threads can be passed The upon being'turned, may then further ring, I

itself by engagement of the terminals feed `of the `tongues with Ithe threads into tight engagement and will there-remain until forcibly removed. E

When it is desiredI to remove the device,

this may readily be done by merely un-screwing it a few times to release the tongues from engagement and the protector may then be discarded or if desired may be used over` again.

It will" be understood that any desired the tongues 5 may be employed and that in securing them to the ring 2', ,their terminals may be located to approximate the spiral arrangement of the threads so that all of the tongue terminals will be in enga ement, when a lied' to a threaded ipe, theby insuring tllid) device in fixed posipt'ion, as indicated in Fi 3. l

Various other orms and arrangements of the resilient locking tongues may be utilized, and in Fig.` 4 I have shown the ring 2 as continuously imperforat'e and providedwith ytongues 5 secured by' rivetsl 6 to the inner' side ofthe ring, theterminals '7"'y engaging the threadsy of the'pipe in the same manner as above described. With this construction i clearanceis necessary to rovide for thickness of the springtongues, ut to obviate the necessity of enlarging the diameters of the rings forsucl purpose, they y may be longitudina recessed as indicated at 8 in Fig; 5 by merely pressing the metal 110 secured therein in the -7e are formed as portions,

the tongues 5 being same manner as described and occupying the space with ample provision for resilient operation of the tongue terminals.

In Fig'. l7 I show a modified construction of the spring tongue 5 having laterally extending attaching wings 9, 9, by which it may be riveted to the shell, if double riveting is preferred. This construction may be used for the inside of the ring, or for the outside, in which case the spring terminal 7 projects through the slotted openin 4.

In Figs.l 8 and 9 I show a further modification of the locking device in which the spring tongue is formed of wire having the side members a, a, and the cross terminal thread-engaging member b, the lower efdge of which as shown, may be made in V form to suit the thread to be engaged, while the rear terminals of the sides a, a, are bent Vinwardly and riveted at their inner portions as indicatedv at c, thereby securing the device in place on the ring.

In Figs. 10, 11 and 12 I show a further modiiication in which the spring tongue 5 is provided with a resilient terminal 7 extending inwardly through the opening 4 and is serrated or toothed across its edge transversely of the several threads to' be engaged. With will spring over `the `threads in the same manner as above described and will engage several threads at the same time, thereby further insuring its holding eifect.

In Fig. 13 I showV a construction in 'which outwardly as indicated,

the ring 2 is provided with an interior annular packing Al0 of any suitable substance, as felt, adapted to cushion against the threads, and having the spring locking abutments 7d formed to be secured around the exterior of the ring as shown and bent as at l1 to embrace the edge of the ring and said packing, being free to deflect backwardly against it in springing over the threads, as will bereadily understood. The advantage of the packing is in providing an additional .protection of the threads.

InFigs 14 and 15 the yloclring abutments either integral orl separatel secured, of a continuous encircling ban v12, riveted to the ring 2 midway between the vseveral tongues 4as at 13, thereby providing ample resiliency for the abutments, which extendthrough the openings 4 and operate in the same manner already described.

It will be understood thatfwith either -ofthe various constructions above described or any other modied forms which may be readily devised the terminals may be provided with rouxided or varched edges for en' gagement with theteeth as desired to suit different forms of threads or conditions of unyielding to afford proper this construction the tongue;

and engage the use. As thus body portion ofthe protector completely 1ncloses the entire length of threads and envelops and protects them against injury in transit or from any possible cause.

I am aware that thread protectors have been designed having integral inwardly eX-.

tending tooth-engaging abutments adapted to hold-against the threads, but in practice have found that the spring abutments in order to be successfully operative and e'ective must be of comparatively thin metal, having a considerable degree of elasticity and range of movement.

While good results are secured with the smaller sizes of protectors in which the metal employed may be sufliciently thin to insure such resiliency, the larger'sizes, requiring considerably heavier gage of metal for the ring or shell, are not practicable with locking tongues formed ofthe ring itself for the reason that they are entirely too stiff and unyielding to be operative. sizes it is desirable and necessary that the rings shall be comparatively heavy, stiff and protection to the threads, andthe attachment of the spring abutments in the manner above described permits of them being of comparatively thin spring metal, amply resilient to effect the operation of applying and holding the rings in place, while occupying a comparatively "slight space.

The device as thus made is simple `and cheap in construction and has proved to be highly eflicient in use. It may be made in any suitable size or proportions; t e formation o f the tongue terminals @xdesignedto suit the character of the of any shape or gage, or the device may be otherwise variously changed or modified in dili'erent details, but all such changes are to be`considered as within lowing claims:

1. A thread protector consisting of a stiff unyielding rin wardly extendm resilient separately attached abutments adapted to spring over threads.

2. A- thread protector consisting of a stiff unyielding rin wardly extending resilient separately attachedabutments adapted to move radially with relation to the axialzcenter of the ringJ to pass over the threads in applying the protector thereto.

3. A thread protector consisting of a stiff unyielding ring of -sheet metal having inmade and applied the shell or of sheet metal having irl-- In the largerj eads the scope of the fols d of sheet metal having 1n- 'wardly extending freely resilient separately ings therethrough and inwardly extending freely resilient separately attached abutments having terminals extending through said openings adapted to spring over and engage against the threads.

5. A thread protector consisting of a stiff unyielding ring of sheet metal having openings therethrough and inwardly extending freely resilient separately attached abutments having terminals extending through said openings adapted to spring over and engage against the threads, and a terminal inwardly extending flange. v

6. A thread protector consisting of a stiff unyielding ring of sheet metal having inwardlyv extending resilient separately attached abutments adapted Vto spring over and engage the. threads, said tongues having their terminals located in spiral arrangement to conform to the spiral of the threads.

7. In a thread protector, the combination with a stili unyielding ring, of a plurality of relatively thin resilient abutments secured to the ring having terminals adapted to spring over and engage the threads.

In testimony whereof I aiiix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

PETER J. sH'RUM.

Witnesses:

C. M. CLARKE, CHAS. S. LEPLEY. 

